Traditionally, athletes have utilized seating that performs the singular function of supporting the user. They then rely on ancillary, function-specific devices/solutions to meet other needs. In many cases, however, these function-specific devices/solutions either suboptimally address the user's needs, or they serve to inconvenience the user, and thus can run the risk of not being used to their full potential. As such, it is believed that there is a need for a seating solution that can support an athlete while providing ancillary functionality that may be situationally beneficial.
For example, it is well established that, during athletic activity, a person can perform better and at a lower risk of injury if their muscles are sufficiently warmed prior to engaging in the activity. It is common practice for athletes to warm their muscles prior to engaging in the activity by performing a low intensity exercise that increases both the metabolic activity and heat production within the muscles (i.e., “active warm-up”). It has been found that a typical period of active warm-up can increase the temperature of muscle by approximately 2-4° C. (i.e., from a resting temperature of from about 35-36° C. to an active temperature of from about 38-39° C.).
While many athletes do, in fact, perform some active warm-up in preparation for their athletic competition, it is also common for the athlete to experience some delay between their warm-up and the start of the competition. Likewise in team sports that involve player substitutions or breaks between periods of play, an athlete may break from the competition after competing for a period of time and sit/rest in a chair, such as shown in FIG. 1. These periods of inactivity may result in a cooling of the muscles that can lead to subsequent decreases in muscle performance and a heightened risk of injury.
The current state-of-the-art for maintaining muscle warmth during these periods of inactivity involves the athlete wearing thermally insulated apparel in an effort to minimize thermal losses to the ambient environment. The standard apparel does nothing to actively regulate muscle temperature at an optimal level. Moreover, insulating the entire body can have detrimental effects on the body's ability to regulate core temperature and the athlete's perception of comfort or fatigue, both of which can negatively impact long-term endurance.
In another example, it is common for players of many sports to interact with personal or team coaches when they break from the game. This collaboration can sometimes be verbal, either in person or over a telephone or other two-way communication device, and can use demonstratives, such as a dry-erase markerboard, pictures, or video displayed on a tablet or other computing device. In each instance, the communication means or demonstrative may fall short of conveying the intended message or information. Likewise, it involves heightened player engagement during a period when, for example, rest or recovery are also priorities.